Mexico City

We were able to find flights to Mexico City and flew there after saying a sad goodbye to the beach. We were really excited to be able to stay with our friend Rosa (known as Chiquis) who I met when she was an exchange student in New Zealand. On our first day we took the metro into the centre of town – the Zocalo. Our first stop was the Palacio Nacional, where we looked at murals by the painter Diego Rivera, and were able to see the final day of a special exhibit of royal items from Spain, which were beautiful.

Mural by Diego Rivera

Palacio Nacional

After that, we headed over to the Templo Mayor – Aztec ruins that are right in the middle of the city and lay there for hundreds of years before being rediscovered. The museum there was also really interesting.

Templo Mayor

In the Templo Mayor museum

Next, we stopped and tried some of the yummy street food. We absolutely love trying new snacks off the street! You can find the tastiest and cheapest food that way.

Karen sampling street food

We then went to see the cathedral, and watched the Aztec dancers who were performing outside before heading back and going out with Chiquis for enchiladas for dinner.

Cathedral

Aztec dancers

Another highlight of our time in Mexico City was the National Museum of Anthropology, where we were able to look through some fabulous exhibits covering the long history of people in Mexico. This museum has been beautifully done with some of the highlights being a reproduction of a Mayan Temple and tomb, the Sun Stone and more information on Teotihuacan which we had previously visited (more on that in another post).

Olmec head at museum

Temple reproduction at museum

Outside the museum, the Voladores perform a dance where they circle a pole while in the area – it looked pretty challenging to do!

Dancing while soaring around a pole

Chiquis took us to the floating gardens of Xochimillo, where we hired a boat and went on the river. It was a party out on the water – mariachi bands playing, dozens of boats sailing up and down and even some tied together, people selling snacks (like the delicious corn with salt, chili and lime we sampled) and all floating past beautiful gardens. We even got a thunder and lightning storm for interesting scenery!

My boat

Chiquis, Karen and Reuben

Floating gardens

That night we went out for fried enchiladas – they were so amazing!

Karen and Chiquis

Chiquis also took us on a walk through the lovely grounds of her university, as well as to see her work and family. We were so fortunate to once again have such a gracious and generous host.